A Cambodian health official said on Tuesday that her nation aims to strengthen ties with Hong Kong’s medical institutions and nongovernmental groups in the fight against cataract blindness and other eye diseases that plague the Southeast Asia country’s rural communities.

At the invitation of GX Foundation, a Hong Kong-based charity established in 2018, Youk Sambath, the secretary of state for Cambodia’s Ministry of Health, visited Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection to study the city’s vector-borne disease control programs, and met with faculty at the Hong Kong Eye Hospital on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Sambath expressed a desire for closer collaboration between the eye hospital and its Cambodian counterparts to address the pressing ophthalmological health challenges faced by Cambodia.

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She described Hong Kong’s health system as sophisticated, innovative, and highly technological, noting that Cambodian health officials can learn much from their Hong Kong counterparts.

GX Foundation has been assisting Cambodia in its fight against rural cataract blindness since 2022. The foundation recently expanded its efforts to control outbreaks of dengue fever in the tropical country.

“The health of people is very important, and we appreciate all the support from Hong Kong,” Sambath said.

This outreach comes as Cambodia, a key participant in the Belt and Road Initiative, seeks to strengthen its public health system and make healthcare services more affordable for disadvantaged groups.

Sambath said that the Cambodian government has unveiled a road map aimed at expanding the nation’s health security coverage to 85 percent of the population by 2035, while simultaneously reducing the share of out-of-pocket payments for those covered by the program from the current 60 percent to 35 percent over the next decade.

“This will bring significant benefits to our Cambodian people,” she added.

Sambath also highlighted how health assistance programs can alleviate both illness and poverty. She cited the example of the GX Foundation’s Cataract Blindness Elimination Program, noting that up to 70 percent of the approximately 3,900 patients seeking free surgeries through the charity come from rural areas, and are eager to return to their fields and resume their livelihoods.

China has been active over the past decade in strengthening people-to-people ties with Cambodia through various assistance programs, including poverty alleviation, infrastructure projects and technical support on clearing landmines – a legacy of decades of war.

Last year marked the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations, and both sides have pledged to build a high-quality, high-level, and high-standard China-Cambodia community with a shared future, ensuring the continuation of their treasured ironclad friendship for future generations.

Leveraging its advanced medical resources and expertise in disease control, Hong Kong has become a pivotal hub for the nation’s efforts to solidify these bonds with Cambodia.

Sung Vinntak, another secretary of state of Cambodia’s Ministry of Health who also visited Hong Kong, said that in addition to exchanges at the top level, technical exchanges — especially in the healthcare sector — are strengthening bilateral ties and helping forge a shared community.

“We have many teams from the Ministry of Health attending workshops and training programs in China,” which he said explains why bilateral relationships are becoming stronger.

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“We are committed to building the China-Cambodia community together,” he added.

Lach Chandeth, vice-chief of the ministry’s Bilateral Relations and Regional Cooperation Bureau, said that building a shared community can lead to concrete achievements.

“Cambodia can learn from China and improve the health system,” she said.

Contact the writer at lilei@chinadailyhk.com